The present invention relates to an electrical connector for a cable (hereinafter called “a cable connector”) and a connector assembly having a connector for a circuit board (hereinafter called “a circuit board connector”) and the cable connector. The circuit board connector is attached to a circuit board and is fitted to the cable connector.
Patent Reference has disclosed a conventional female connector. A terminal with a cable is attached to the female connector that is fitted to a male connector. A retainer is attached to a housing of the female connector to be movable so as to secure an attachment position of the terminal with a cable.
Patent Reference: Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-86971
The conventional female connector disclosed in Patent Reference has a housing body, the retainer, the terminal with a cable, and a locking member. A recessed portion is formed in the housing body. The retainer is attached to the recessed portion as a movable member. The terminal with a cable is held in the housing and the retainer.
The conventional female connector is assembled as follows. First, the retainer is inserted at a temporary locking position from a rear portion of the housing body to an inside of the recessed portion. Next, the terminal with a cable is inserted in the retainer and the housing body. Further, the retainer is moved upward up to a locking position inside of the recessed portion. Finally, the locking member is attached from behind the housing body. As described above, the terminal with a cable is held at a regular position to be completely inserted.
In the conventional female connector, there can be a case in which the terminal with a cable is not inserted up to the regular position. In this case, the retainer does not reach the locking position. Accordingly, the locking member cannot be attached to a specific position. That is, the locking member cannot be attached to the specific position at the end of the assembly procedure. Accordingly, the terminal with a cable is not at the regular position and is inserted incompletely.
In this case, it is necessary to disassemble the female connector, and the assembly operation has to be repeated from the beginning.
In the female connector disclosed in Patent Reference, the retainer and the locking member are required to attach the terminal with a cable to the housing body at the regular position, thereby increasing manufacturing cost and part management cost.
Further, after the retainer is moved to the temporary locking position and then to the locking position to assemble the female connector, the locking member must be incorporated. That is, three steps are required to assemble the female connector.
Further, when the terminal with a cable is at a position to be incompletely inserted, the incomplete insertion is not visually confirmed until the locking member is attached at the end. At that time, the female connector must be disassembled to repeat the assembly operation. This is a time consuming operation and leads to an increase of the production cost.
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector and a connector assembly that comprises the cable connector and a mating connector or a circuit board connector.
The cable connector of the invention is formed of a small number of parts and is easy to assemble. Further, when a terminal with a cable is incompletely inserted, it is possible to continue an assembly of the cable connector while the terminal is completely inserted, thereby reducing a manufacturing cost.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.